


Jump-Start

by xanam



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Background Kairi/Olette, Background Roxas/Xion - Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Kairi tries her best to help, M/M, Riku is a pining mess, Roxas is a good boy, Sora is confused about love, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmate-mixup, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27672305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xanam/pseuds/xanam
Summary: Soulmates are easy enough to understand - once the timer on your wrist hits zero, you find yourself facing your soulmate for the first time in your life. Simple as that.Sora wishes it was that easy for him - after all, timers don't usually jump up and down like his.
Relationships: Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Roxas & Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 116





	Jump-Start

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's been forever since I've posted any fics here, huh... I wrote this as part of a 100 themes prompt that I started for this year's NaNoWriMo (The word being 'Random'), and it lead me here! I saw a post on tumblr about soul-identifying timers and couldn't resist pulling something together for soriku. Doubting I'll continue with NaNo since I've been so distracted with khmom, but it's been fun to write again!
> 
> Big thanks to Kaddi for beta'ing this for me, you're such a sweetheart and you helped out so much 🥺 And to everyone else, thank you for checking this out, I really hope you enjoy it!

A woman stands on the beach, long blonde hair blowing in the wind as she presses her sunhat to her head against the wind. It was supposed to be hot today, but the ocean breeze sends shivers down her arms regardless.

"They'll be here," her friend reassures her with a smile. "You'll know them when you see them."

The blonde chances another glance at the tiny numbers on her wrist.

_00:00:00:00:00:46_

Forty-six seconds,

"I sure hope so..." She sighs, moving her hand to scratch her cheek.

An especially large gust of wind surges, and her hat is whisked clear off her head. The woman gasps, turning on her heels to chase after the purple sun hat, hot powdery sand brushing her feet as it slides between her feet and flip-flops. She pays it no mind, noting only that it was getting close to the ocean and her friend had not followed.

She was going to miss the countdown - she just knew it.

The hat continues to sway through the air, and she gasps as it lounges teasingly above the water.

"Wait-"

A hand suddenly reaches out of nowhere, snatching up the hat without a moment's hesitation.

"You forget something?"

A warm baritone greets her, and she gasps as she stares up at a tan-skinned brunet with warm brown eyes.

"That's... T-thank you."

She glances at her wrist.

_00:00:00:00:00:00_

* * *

The way it works is clearly known to everyone on the islands - when a child is born, a timer marks their wrist, like some sort of strange, magical tattoo. The second that timer reaches 0 is the moment that person will meet their soulmate for the first time - the person they are most compatible with, the person who will make them happiest, the person they will stay with for the rest of their lives.

She remembers the day she met her husband on the beach, appearing to her like a hat-rescuing knight in shining armour. She smiles fondly at the memory - nothing had ever made her happier than introducing him into her life.

There were only two moments in her life that she would place ahead of that time in fondest memories - the day they married, and the day her son had been born - a beautiful, healthy young boy with his father's brown hair and eyes as blue as her own.

Sora... He’s a good young boy - energetic as any other she's met, throwing the occasional tantrum as any toddler would. One thing that sets him apart from any other child she's met, though...

"I can’t sleep,” she says, rousing her husband from his sleep. “I can’t stop thinking about it… It happened again." 

He lets out a muffled sigh, rolling over as his eyes crack open. "Dear, it's almost four in the morning... Get some rest."

"It was bothering me," she presses. "His timer's still changing, it's not my imagination. The numbers are just... Too different."

"You're imagining it," he dismisses.

"No... I _watched_ it, dear. I saw it jump _up_. I can't explain it, but it was when I was putting him to bed earlier."

Her husband sits up, eyes crinkling in worry.

"Are you sure? Why did you wait until just now to tell me?"

She averts her eyes.

"I didn't want to worry you, so I thought I'd wait to see if it happened again before I said something, wondered if maybe it really _was_ my imagination. But..." A sigh. 

"It's starting to worry me too much, it's giving me nightmares. What if... What if something's wrong with his soulmate, or with him? What if something happens to him before they get the chance to meet?"

_"Oh."_

Immediately, he understands the issue, sitting up and wrapping his arms around his wife.

"Hey, don't worry. Everything's going to be okay. If it really bothers you, we can get him scheduled for a check-up tomorrow, but maybe this just... Happens to some people, sometimes. I'm sure everything is going to be okay."

She nods slowly, not quite convinced, but appreciating how much he does to try to keep her calm.

"...You're right. Thank you."

"Do you think you can get some sleep? Worrying isn't going to help, this is a problem for tomorrow's us."

She laughs.

"Tonight's us need some sleep," She agrees. "Goodnight, dear."

  
  


Sora knows he's different from the other kids he plays with on the island. Every day when they come here to play, Selphie proudly shows off her wrist, pointing at the days part of her tattoo as the number decreases day by day.

"Three more years," she says proudly, moving to point at the months. "I think it's near my birthday. I'll meet the man of my dreams when I turn twelve!"

"Boy," Riku corrects with a sigh. "And you don't even know if it _will_ be a boy. Nobody knows who it is till it hits zero."

She blows a loud raspberry at him. "Yeah, well if it's my soulmate they've gotta be perfect, and I just _know_ it's gotta be a tall, handsome guy!"

The boy rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

"You don't have to be so _rude_ ! I'm just glad we've already met, so it can't be you! You'd be an _awful_ soulmate!"

Sora watches them bicker, confused.

"Are they arguing again?" a voice asks from behind him, and he beams as he turns around.

"Kairi!"

Kairi grins as she heads over to him, arms folded behind her back as she leans forward with a grin. "Hey, Sora. I can't stay long, my moms said we need to head out to grab some groceries in half an hour, but I needed to stop by to talk to you guys first. Wanna come over for a sleepover on Saturday? I've wanted to have a slumber party since forever, and Mama finally said I could!"

His eyes shine with excitement. "That sounds great, yeah! Who else is coming?"

Kairi hums thoughtfully, eyes trailing to watch Riku and Selphie continue to bicker.

"I have to go find everyone else, but ask Riku and Selphie if they wanna come, too? You guys should come over around ten, if you want. I'm asking Tidus and Wakka as well, maybe Alice and Lilo if they can, too."

He gives her a thumbs up. "I'll ask my parents... Thanks, Kairi!"

"You're welcome!" She takes off again with a run, one of her mothers waiting for her by the docks in the distance.

"-don't you ever show anyone _your_ timer, huh?" Selphie is demanding, jabbing Riku in the chest. "You always cover it up before anyone can look! I bet it says it's gonna be sixty- no, seventy years before you meet them! Or it's not even there, and you'll never ever get to meet them-"

"Stop!" He snaps, holding his wrist closer. "I bet yours is gonna be an awful person anyway, and you're gonna be unhappy for the rest of your life."

Selphie squeaks, but Riku doesn't stop.

"And they'll be short, and ugly, and everything you hope they're not-"

"Guysssss!" Sora shouts, snapping their attention away from each other. Selphie's face is red and close to tears, and Riku looks angry and... A little shaken? "Kairi wanted to know if you guys wanna go to her place for a sleepover on Saturday."

They blink.

"Only if _he's_ not coming," Selphie snaps, giving Riku a glare before storming off.

Sora glares at Riku who turns his face away, trying to hide his expression from Sora.

"I don't want to talk about it," he says coolly, as if knowing exactly what he was thinking. "...Later. Maybe."

Sora blinks.

"Ooooooookay..." He shrugs, hoping he'll be able to ask about it later and not wanting to linger on something sad. "You’re coming to Kairi's next week, right?"

"Sure, it sounds fun." Riku looks back at him, expression morphing back into a friendly smile. "Hey, Sora... Wanna race"?

He matches the look with a grin of his own. "You're on!"

  
  


Evidently, Sephie has forgotten her threat to not turn up by Saturday, greeting Riku with barely a frown when they turn up at Kairi's the following weekend.

"My mom made us snacks!" Sora announces, holding a plastic container filled with cupcakes. Kairi's mama takes it eagerly, placing it on the counter.

"I'll give her a call later to say thank you," she says with a smile, before tapping Kairi's shoulder. "Honey, why don't you go and grab a movie to watch with your friends? They can go and get comfortable in the meantime."

"Sure!" Kairi rushes into the living room, beaming. "You guys should take your stuff upstairs!" she shouts back. Kairi has a habit of leaving before she can finish saying things, and it's always enough to make him smile.

Sora slings his backpack over his shoulder, grabbing Riku's arm as he spins to face the door. "C'mon, Riku! Let's go take up our things!"

"Sure thing, Sora."

"I'll race you!" another voice blurts out of nowhere and an elbow is suddenly ramming into Sora's face. Lilo charges past, almost crashing into the doorframe as she giggles, heading for the stairs.

"No fair!" He calls after her, dragging Riku along behind him as he tries to catch up.

  
  


They're an hour into the movie when Tidus decides to speak up, and Sora wishes he hadn't. They're watching some animated kids movie that Selphie's been talking about wanting to watch for weeks, something to do with a princess who falls into an enchanted sleep for hundreds of years, the timer on her wrist frozen in place at a single second before her prince finally comes to her rescue. Sora doesn't really care for it - he was really hoping for something to do with pirates.

"Why doesn't her timer go down while she's sleeping, anyway?" Tidus scoffs. "It doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't her timer just have a thousand years written on it or something?"

"I don't think her wrist has enough space for that," Alice says, rolling her eyes. "Besides, she's in a cursed sleep. I guess that stops the magic."

"It wouldn't be _that_ bad. Timers don't stop while you sleep, or mine would look the same as when I go to sleep every time I wake up."

Selphie giggles. "Aww, do you check your timer before you go to bed or something? You're excited to meet your soulmate, aren't you?"

His face turns pink. "N-no..." He folds his arms, trying to act like he isn't bothered. "It'll happen when it happens, I don't really care that much."

"Ssssssh!" Lilo snaps, pointing at the TV with a glare at the blond. "I'm trying to watch the movie!"

The two of them glare at each other for a moment, before Tidus continues.

"Really, though... Imagine having a timer that doesn't count properly. That just _doesn't happen_."

Sora shifts uncomfortably, and if Riku's eyebrows crease in suspicion to the left of him, he doesn't notice.

  
  


"Hey, Sora..."

He's bundled in his sleeping bag when Riku jostles his shoulder. His silhouette stands out in the dark, watching Sora with eerily bright eyes. "Can I talk to you about something?"

He stirs sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Wh' is it?" He mumbles. "M'tired..."

"It's..." Riku averts his eyes, keeping his voice a low whisper as he checks everyone else is still sleeping "It's about my timer."

That grabs Sora's attention, and he rises to his feet as quickly as he can without waking the others.

"Leave those people alone, Pudge, they’re not dinner..." Lilo mumbles into her pillow, and both boys freeze, only moving again once they're sure she's still sleeping. Riku takes Sora's wrist, steering him carefully through the sea of sleeping bags and into the hallway.

"Riku, wh-"

"Bathroom," he says, opening the door to the bathroom and flicking the light switch on. "I don't wanna wake everyone up."

Kairi lives in a huge house right near the centre of their town, and there's plenty of rooms they could've taken each. She'd been far too excited at the concept of a sleepover to have everyone sleep apart though, and had immediately demanded her moms let her have everyone stay in the same room in sleeping bags. They'd agreed with amused smiles, and Sora and the others had been just as excited when Kairi had told them.

With such a big house, it’s no surprise that the bathroom is huge, too. Sora sits down on the countertop beside the sink, Riku joining him on the other side.

"I need to show you my timer," Riku says seriously.

His eyes widen.

"Wait, really?! But... You've never let _anyone_ see it before..."

Sora had tried to ask him about it in the past, and Riku had always deflected the question. He'd started wearing wristbands to cover it up after Sora had grabbed his arm when he was six, leading to a large argument he liked to avoid thinking about.

Why would Riku suddenly want to show him, now?

"What Tidus said earlier, about having a messed up timer... You seemed upset." Riku kicks his feet against the counter. "I don't get why, but I wanna make you feel better."

"What do you mean?"

"Is something wrong with _your_ timer? Because if you need me to go beat up Tidus for you, I will!"

"It's fine," Sora shakes his head. "It's... Stupid."

He knows his timer doesn't behave the way it’s supposed to, knows no other kid has ever mentioned anything close to his own experience. At first, he’d wondered if perhaps the other kids just don't like talking about it either, but sometimes he'd see his parents taking note of the number displayed and trying to act like they weren't worried. Did _he_ have some kind of magical curse?

It sounds stupid even in his head - no way is gonna bother Riku with it.

"You wanna go back to-"

He's cut off by a wrist suddenly being shoved in his face. Instinctively, Sora tries to avert his eyes, only to be met by a determined look on Riku's face, not willing to let this go.

"Look."

He's serious. Sora relaxes, peering at the number displayed clearly on his wrist.

_00:00:00:00:00:00_

"Whoa..." Sora's eyes widen. "You found your soulmate already?! When? Who is it?"

His doubts turn to excitement as he regards Riku, the new revelation only making his best friend seem even cooler. Riku's expression turns sad.

"That's the thing..." He moves his arm away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I... Don't know. I don't remember ever _seeing_ it change. I never wanted to bring it up with anyone - none of our other friends have finished timers.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's always been like this... I don't wanna ask my parents, because I'm too scared to learn the answer."

Sora swings himself down from the counter, moving to stand near Riku and wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

"My timer keeps changing," he mumbles quietly, resting his head on his shoulder. "Sometimes it drops a lot. Sometimes it goes up. Riku… I've never heard of anyone else's timer doing this before. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Riku says nothing, only brings him closer. Eventually, Sora pulls away and holds out his own wrist.

_14:03:24:12:08:42_

"The year was at ten last week…"

Riku regards the tattoo calmly, observant.

"You sure?"

A nod.

Riku shrugs. "Then I guess _both_ of us are weird, huh... But that's okay. We don't need some stupid numbers to control our lives, right? Thing are gonna turn out okay, I don't need some stupid soulmate for that, and neither do you."

"You're right! Thanks Riku, you're the best!"

He doesn't really feel convinced of Riku's words yet, not quite. He appreciates the gesture though, and he's glad to have a friend as good as him.

Both sets of eyes are drawn back to Sora's wrist again, as if on instinct. The numbers shift.

_06:02:04:01:00:05_

* * *

Six years pass, and his timer continues to shift. After he bids goodbye to Kairi the day after the sleepover, an extra two years and five months appear on his timer. A week later, five years vanish. His seventh birthday comes around, and another eight years are added to the timer, as if taunting him.

Nowadays, however, the changes have slowed considerably. By fourteen, his timer takes several months to jump - and now at sixteen years of age, it's been stable for over a year.

_00:00:22:06:34:52_

_Twenty-two days._

_Twenty-two days, and he might finally meet his soulmate_.

"Are you sure about this, Kairi?" He asks warily. His friend grins at him, snatching the laptop from him as she starts typing, pointing smugly at a forum page.

"I'm telling you Sora - if you're ever getting a shot to catch this thing before it changes again, you need to take _every_ measure to make sure it happens. Olette told me about it, she said this is how one of her friends found his soulmate!"

"I'm still not sure..."

"C'mon Sora, trust me! You've gotta find them!"

Kairi points at the page, gesturing towards a couple of threads. "See, these are dated around the same time as yours... We already calculated when your timer is meant to run out, right? So all we have to do is check on here and see if any of these dates match..."

She gets to work clicking around the page, and Sora can't help but smile.

He's so relieved that he finally told his other best friend his wrist situation, finally plucking up the courage to do so last year after getting to witness her own timer hitting zero. The two of them along with Riku had been planning a trip to Twilight Town for weeks, completely failing to notice it fell on Kairi's Soulmate Day until they were already on the train. She'd bumped into Olette as she dashed out of the train in a panic at their stop, dropping her bag as she collapsed onto her in a heap just as the final number ticked down to completion.

With his timer slowing down, maybe he'd finally get his own Soulmate Day after all.

He'd told her a few days after she met Olette, deciding it was finally time. Ever since, she's been absolutely determined to help him out and find him his fated partner, no matter what it takes. There's no way he'd be searching these forums without her poking him constantly, and no matter how wary he is of the idea, he's grateful.

"...Aha! Sora, look! Right there, their timer looks like a perfect match!"

"What?!"

Kairi turns the screen towards him, pointing towards one of the entries. He glances at the sheet of paper on which they'd calculated the exact time and date his timer is due to end.

There it is, right down to the second.

_This is it._

"You should message them!" She encourages, passing the laptop back to him with a squeal. "C'mon, you need to take this chance before it slips away!"

Sora thinks about telling her that fate wouldn't _let_ the chance to meet a soulmate 'slip away', but then he thinks back to the way his timer jumps and thinks better of it. She does have a point - maybe if he's too indecisive, he'll have to wait another ten years or something. He just wants this mess to end.

He clicks on the username, and his hand hovers over the ' _Direct Message_ ' button.

Deep breaths.

 _He can do this_.

He clicks the button.

  
  


**_You_ ** _[Today, 9:15AM]: hi, saw your post. i think our numbers might match?_

 **_OathkeeperXIII_ ** _[Today, 2:36PM]: wait, really, you're sure? send a pic_

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:36PM]: hi btw

 **You** [Today, 2:42PM]: **[Sent a photo]**

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:46PM]: wow holy shit

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:46PM]: that looks so close damn

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:47PM]: **[Sent a photo]**

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:49PM]: we still need some way to check for sure... 

**You** [Today, 2:49PM]: maybe we should video call? we'd be able to compare the countdown in real time, right?

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:49PM]: whoa man, i don't even know you!

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:50PM]: that's probably the best way to do this, but maybe we should talk more first

 **You** [Today, 2:51PM]: good point, someone could fale that

 **You** [Today, 2:51PM]: *fake

 **You** [Today, 2:52PM]: im sora, nice to meet you! :D

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:54PM]: i'm roxas

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:54PM]: and you too! didn't think that post would actually work

 **You** [Today, 2:54PM]: me neither! my friend set me up to this, starting to be glad she did

 **OathkeeperXIII** [Today, 2:54PM]: me too

  
  


"I... Don't think timers work like this," Riku says with a frown as Sora scrolls through the messages excitedly. His grin fades, and he huffs.

"What makes you think that? Me and Roxas haven't _met_ yet, so it doesn't count."

"If Roxas really is your soulmate, wouldn't you just bump into each other on your Soulmate Day? Fate pushes people together when they're meant to meet, you can't just... Plan it out."

"But if I don't try, my timer might jump again before I get the chance!"

Riku's eyes soften at those words, and Sora knows he can tell exactly what Sora's thinking right now.

Sora's never understood what's wrong with his timer, but he's never quite known what he thinks about the idea of a soulmate in the first place. The idea of knowing you'll spend the rest of your life at the side of another person from the moment you meet them... It's a scary thought. The fates guarantee that they're the person who will make you happiest, someone you're guaranteed to have things in common with, but... How can you decide that before you get to know them?

Even with Roxas, the thought still scares him. They've been messaging each other for nine days now and they've exchanged numbers, but he still doesn't truly _know_ him. How can his destiny already be set like this? He looks at his timer again.

_00:00:13:01:23:00_

Less than two weeks before their destined meeting. His timer thankfully remains stable, but the idea of it still weighs on him. Every time his timer changes, does something change that affects when they'll meet? Is his soulmate switched to someone else? Does it mean the previous soulmate died, forcing the fates to assign him a new one?

Whatever happens next, he just wants his timer to finally hit zero without issue. He can deal with the rest later.

A gentle yet firm hand on his shoulder breaks him out of his thoughts, and Riku's smile is understanding.

"You're going to be okay," he reassures him, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "No matter what happens in the next couple of weeks, me and Kairi will be here for you, okay?"

Sora nods.

"Yeah... Thanks, Riku."

They smile at each other, and Sora's eyes drift back to Riku's wrist, gloves obscuring his wrist. He still keeps his timer hidden from sight, most of the time.

"Did you ever figure out who your soulmate's supposed to be?"

He sighs.

"...Nope. To be honest, I don't think I ever will. I don't know when it hit zero, and we have so many friends who've already met their soulmates at this point... Too many outliers. Maybe it was some random kid I bumped into when I was too young to remember, and we didn't get the chance to meet properly, but I don't really care."

"You don't? But don't you care about finding someone to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Not really. If this is what the fates are dealing me, then I guess there's not much I can do about it. I don't believe in fate anyway - shouldn't we be able to decide for ourselves who makes us happy?”

"I guess..."

At least Riku was happy with his choice.. Then again, he'd never exactly seemed like the romantic type. Sora knew so many others who would constantly check their timers, counting down to the day they'd reach zero, excitedly discussing the type of person they hoped it'd be, how their first meeting would go, if it was possible to bump into them sooner. Without a countdown to check on, Riku had missed that opportunity, yet never seemed to let it bother him.

"There's... One person I thought it could be, when I was younger," he murmured quietly. "But their timer wasn't up yet, so I guess my hopes got crushed.

"I'd rather leave that in the past, though. Now, where are you meeting this guy?"

There’s no way he’s getting any more information about that from Riku and he knows it, so he doesn't push further.

"That café on the mainland, the one by the beach that puts the little blue umbrellas in the drinks," he answers. "Roxas lives in Twilight Town, but we thought that'd be too crowded, and we didn't want anywhere _too_ remote like the play island, just to be safe."

"Glad you're thinking about keeping safe." Riku nods approvingly. "Meeting someone you've only spoken to online for less than a month is risky enough, especially if you ended up all alone."

"Kairi and Olette said they're coming too, they're taking another table and watching out for me," he laughs. "I was wondering... Would you come with me, too? For moral support?"

Riku shakes his head, looking away.

"Sorry... I've got plans that day. I'll call you a few minutes after your timer runs out to check in on you though, okay?"

Sora's face falls. It would've been nice to have both his friends there and it definitely just feels like an excuse, but he doesn't want to push Riku. Maybe not getting the chance to meet his soulmate bothers him more than he lets on, after all.

He wishes he could tell him that it won't change anything, and that he won't let Riku feel like he's been left alone - not now, not ever.

"Cool!" He says instead, giving him a thumbs-up. "I'll be waiting!"

  
  


**Roxas** [Today, 8:26PM]: Hey sora, I'm ordering train tickets for tomorrow

 **Roxas** [Today, 8:26PM]: Is it cool if I bring my friend hayner along? I'm not too familiar with the area

 **You** [Today, 8:31PM]: Sure, thats cool! Man, cant believe its tomorrow...

 **Roxas** [Today, 8:31PM]: Same

 **Roxas** [Today, 8:31PM]: Time sure went by fast, huh

 **You** [Today, 8:32PM]: Yeah...

 **You** [Today, 8:34PM]: I'll see you tomorrow! Planning to get some extra sleep tonight so I'm ready in time

Sora sets his phone down next to his bed, plugging in the charger and lying down with a sigh. He doesn't really intend to turn in for the night yet, but he needs time to think. He looks back down at his timer again.

_00:00:00:14:02:19_

It's finally down to mere _hours_ , and has yet to jump.

_It's finally happening._

It still hasn't really registered with him yet, still doesn’t feel real. No matter what, three weeks wasn't enough to really get to know a person, and while Roxas is starting to feel like a pretty good friend, that's all there is to it.

Isn't your soulmate supposed to be someone you bond with right away, someone you have plenty in common with, who you only need to _look_ at and be confident you've found your perfect match? That’s how everyone in his life who has already met their soulmates described it to him, and he wonders how much of that is an exaggeration. Maybe it takes longer, maybe despite all the overjoyed looks and loving hugs people usually share on their first meeting, they really do start off purely as friends getting to know each other.

The thought comforts him, but he still isn't sure.

"I guess I'll find out tomorrow..." he mumbles to himself, picking up his phone again as it buzzes.

 **Roxas** [Today, 8:42PM]: Damn thats early 😂 goodnight!

Satisfied that his conversation with Roxas has wrapped up for the night, he searches through his contacts, finger hovering over Kairi's name.

He could ask her, maybe. It's been less than a year since her and Olette crashed into each other back in Twilight Town, so the memories are probably still fresh. How long did it take her to fall for Olette, for her to comfortably think of her as her girlfriend? Maybe she could give him the answer he so badly wants to hear.

On the other hand, it could backfire massively if she was to give him the _wrong_ answer. He passes over her name, messaging Riku instead.

 **You** [Today, 8:44PM]: I'm so nervous about tomorrow

 **You** [Today, 8:44PM]: What if youre right about it not being him, or what if it jumps again right before we meet?

 **You** [Today, 8:44PM]: I dont wanna face that again

Riku doesn't respond to his texts right away, and guilt claws through his stomach. Maybe he shouldn't be throwing all of this at him right now, rubbing it in his face that he even _has_ the chance to enjoy his Soulmate Day. He doesn’t deserve to deal with all of Sora's troubles like this.

His phone buzzes again, and he peers at the response.

 **Riku** [Today, 9:01PM]: There's no way you have to worry about it jumping again, not after it's lasted this long

 **Riku** [Today, 9:01PM]: If it does, I'll be here for you though, okay?

 **Riku** [Today, 9:02PM]: And if your timer runs out and it's not Roxas, you'll still be meeting your soulmate, so it's okay

 **You** [Today, 9:02PM]: Guess thatd make you right about meeting in person, haha

 **Riku** [Today, 9:02PM]: For now, just stay relaxed, it'll happen exactly how it's supposed to :)

 **You** [Today, 9:03PM]: Thought someone didnt believe in fate 🤣

 **Riku** [Today, 9:03PM]: If it keeps you happy, I'll make an exception. You believe in that stuff, right?

Sora smiles to himself. No matter what happens, he's glad he at least has Riku.

 **You** [Today, 9:03PM]: Yeah... Thanks! Ill keep that in mind

  
  


He turns up to the café half an hour early, feeling his nerves skyrocketing. He takes the window seat, dropping Roxas a text with a photo of his seating arrangements. Kairi and Olette show up a few minutes later with a thumbs-up and a grin.

It still doesn't feel real, but his timer is still strong.

_00:00:00:00:26:05_

Seeing so many zeroes on his timer is making him feel queasy, a combination of excitement and nervous anticipation settling over him. No matter what happens now, he'll finally get his answers. He can finally stop feeling so out of place, and figure things out with Roxas in time.

Sora checks his phone, but there's no reply yet.

 **Roxas** [Today, 09:42AM]: Train just pulled into the station, ill be on it soon 👌

 **You** [Today, 10:11AM]: **[sent a photo]**

Still nothing. He tries not to let it worry him, thinking back to Riku's words the night before.

No matter what happens, things are going to turn out alright.

Kairi and Olette are engrossed in conversation, having seemingly forgotten why they're here. A kind-looking waitress shows up at their table holding out a milkshake with two straws, and they take it gratefully. As awkward as he feels sitting all alone like this, he doesn't want to interrupt their date.

Four minutes left and no Roxas. Maybe trying to stage a meeting like this was a stupid idea, after all. Would Roxas only come running into the café right as their timers hit zero? Would he be trying to time it, too?

Three minutes left. His eyes drift to the window, and he watches a couple walk leisurely across the beach, arms linked, one of the two leaning their head on the other's shoulder.

Two minutes left. Looks like the tide is on its way in.

Sora takes a deep breath. This just feels _wrong_. How can he trust the fates to know his perfect match when they've seemed to change their minds so much already? He's spent his entire childhood watching his timer jumping up and down, never consistent, always changing. He's watched his friends showing off their perfectly normal timers that only ever tick down by the second, seen them meet the ones they'll be with forever with joy in their eyes, seen his parents' worry grow and grow every time they notice the number on his wrist is all wrong.

One more minute.

He thinks again about Roxas, and the lack of any kind of romantic spark between them. Roxas had tried flirting once, and Sora hadn't even noticed his intentions until twenty minutes later, after realising he'd deflected it unknowingly. He's a great person, and they definitely have some similar interests, but... He just doesn't _feel_ it.

The idea of forcing himself to be with Roxas only fills him with sadness, as the final few seconds tick down. Kairi and Olette are completely in a world of their own, now.

He wishes Kairi had never told him about that stupid forum. Maybe he'd be more excited for this moment if he didn't already know what he was getting himself into, if the excitement was fresh and new and unexpected, with promises of adventurous new starts, wandering into unknown territory together.

He's jealous of Riku, in a way. If his timer's already at 0, he never has to worry about meeting eyes with someone as his timer ends and knowing that no matter what he thinks, he's destined to be tied to that person forever.

He almost wishes he could just _choose_ a soulmate, that it could be someone he already knows. Once, when he was younger, he thought he might have a crush on Kairi. His mother had laughed when he told her, explaining that he need only worry about the person whose timer matched his own, that they both had someone else special who would find them in the end. He'd moved past those feelings fairly quickly after that.

If his soulmate is supposed to be somebody he’ll want by him forever, someone he has plenty in common with, and someone who made him happiest, it should be _his_ choice.

 _'I wish Riku was my soulmate,'_ he thinks to himself sadly. _'I can't think of anyone I'd want to stay with me more than him.'_

Ever since his parents had dismissed his thoughts regarding Kairi, he'd never let himself think too deeply on the bonds he had with any of his friends, but the more he thinks about it... The thought of Riku being a soulmate made his heart leap. If only...

His phone buzzes, making him jump. Before picking it back up to check, he glances back at his wrist to see how much time Roxas has left to arrive.

_00:00:00:00:00:01_

_00:00:00:00:00:00_

_Zero._

His timer is at zero, and Roxas isn't here. Nobody new is entering the café at all, in fact.

It has not jumped and yet here he is, a completed timer on his hand and no soulmate in sight.

Some Soulmate Day this was turning out to be.

Unsure if he should feel disappointed or relieved, he turns back to his phone, and startles when he realises it is still buzzing.

**[Incoming call - Riku]**

...Wait.

_Wait..._

A million thoughts run through his mind all at once as he answers the call, hands shaking.

"...Riku?"

His best friend's voice rings through the receiver.

"Hey, Sora... Did I call too early? Did you meet your soulmate yet?"

Sora hums thoughtfully. He thinks about what Riku told him two weeks ago, about hoping for a soulmate who has a completely different timer.

"I... Might've."

 _Is it worth a shot?_ This could either go very well or very, very badly. Either way, he doesn't think he could lose Riku’s friendship over something like this, and that thought is enough to spur him into action.

"Hey, Riku... Meet me at the play island tonight at eight. There's some stuff I think I need to explain."

"Uhh... Sure."

Riku sounds confused, but at least he's agreed to it - that's a start.

He can work with this.

  
  


**Roxas** [Today, 11:07PM]: Hi Sora, sorry about today... some crazy dude tried to steal my phone when I was messaging you back earlier and I missed the train. Looks like we weren't soulmates after all haha

 **Roxas** [Today, 11:08PM]: Turns out my soulmate was here in Twilight Town all along! Her names Xion, we bumped into each other once I got my phone back... I got so distracted talking to her that I forgot to let you know what happened, but I hope you've found your real soulmate, too

 **Roxas** [Today, 11:08PM]: You seem like a really nice guy, and you deserve to be happy 👍

There's paopu juice on Sora's phone screen, and he wipes the screen on his shorts before he sends off a reply.

 **You** [Today, 11:09PM]: You too, we should keep in touch as friends! And dont worry, things worked out pretty well for me, too!

"Everything okay there?" Riku asks, finishing off the last of his half of the paopu fruit they'd just shared. His eyes still look a little red - turns out Sora's hunch about Riku was right, and he'd been wishing Sora was his soulmate this whole time. He could barely believe it when Sora explained that he thought it could be the case after all, and Sora witnessed him crying for the first time in years.

He is still aware that he could've gotten this completely wrong, but for now, he trusts his gut. Maybe he just hadn't been ready to come to terms with Riku being his soulmate until now, and his timer had aligned with that fact. Maybe he’s wrong and they aren't supposed to be soulmates after all - but since nobody new had wandered into his life as the timer hit zero, that would only put them both in the same situation. Two people with completed timers and no soulmate to be seen at all…

The more he thinks about it, the more he lets himself believe that this is the right choice. There is no feeling of dread or doubt like there was with Roxas. At least for now, this is _right_.

"Roxas found his soulmate after all," he says with a grin. "Missed his train, then bumped into her at the station. He seems happy."

"I told you that wasn't how timers work," Riku's expression is more soft than smug as he looks at him. "But then again, _this_ isn't how they're supposed to work, either. I won't pretend I understand, but I'm not complaining."

He's right, and it makes Sora laugh. Part of him really wishes he could kiss Riku right now, but he knows that'd probably be way too much for his friend’s poor heart, at least right now. Instead, he bowls him over into a hug, holding on tightly and leaning into his shoulder with a contented sigh.

"Me neither."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!!!! <3 I'm @acerikus on twitter if you wanna chat over there, and I'd love to hear your thoughts here too!


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